Passengers at Brussels Airport are facing severe delays this Saturday morning, with queues at passport control stretching up to 70 minutes. The cause? A technical failure affecting the automated border control gates, or “iGates,” in Pier B, which handles non-Schengen flights, the airport said.
According to airport spokesperson Jeffrey Franssens who talked to VRT NWS, the disruption stems from a “technical problem at the European level“, rendering the iGates inoperable. As a result, all border checks are currently being handled manually by staffed control booths, significantly slowing down passenger throughput.
Brussels Airport is attempting to mitigate the disruption. “We’re doing everything we can to reduce the impact for travelers,” Franssens told. With peak traffic expected to decline by early afternoon, airport authorities hope the situation will gradually improve.
To ease the discomfort, airport staff are distributing water to waiting passengers, and travelers are being advised to arrive well in advance of their departure time.
This morning’s chaos is far from an isolated incident. Passengers at Brussels Airport have faced recurring issues with passport control in recent months, with previous delays also linked to technical faults and understaffing. (Previous coverage)
Longest line to leave Belgium I’ve ever seen ?@BrusselsAirport?
Electronic gates inexplicably closed. Leave lots of time. pic.twitter.com/NJwu3LZkRu
— Kevin Whitelaw (@KevinWhitelaw1) April 12, 2025
It took me 2 1/2 hours to clear customs after I arrived. I can assure you, I did not see anyone passing out water in the arrivals customs queue in those 2 1/2 hours.